Tim Bonython Productions

Volatile Distributions & Events, Trading as Tim Bonython Productions p/l, is a leader in extreme DVD distributions & event coordination (ASMF, The Australian surf movie festival). It’s the brainchild of Tim Bonython an award winning surf filmmaker
( Ref "Blackwater, the story of a place called Teahupo'o), and photographer/director whose association with the surf film trade began in 1978 when his first trip to Hawaii took him to the North Shore of Oahu with a Super 8 camera. Besotted with the big waves & visually one of the greatest sports Tim had set eyes upon.
Surf films were his destiny.

From the beginning back in 1981 Tim made surf movies his industry. All time Bells in 1981 was Tim’s first pro event and with waves up to 15 to 20 feet, then taking the shot footage on the road showing them in pubs & clubs was the perfect offering.
Tim created a totally unique situation running a pub & club tour up and down the east coast & back to his native town of Adelaide.
Sydney is now home to Tim & his family as it has been for most of his life.
It started with Billabong earliest video’s Surfing into Summer – Filthy Habits liaising with Billabong’s founder Gordon Merchant & Vince Lawder. Then went onto create Water Slaughter & Strike Force with Guy Finlay – then met up with Bill McCausland, Jason Muir & created the Gorilla Grip video series with Gripping Stuff 1 & 2.
Plus incorporated video advertising with the local surf companies with the Hawaii Nine O series. This was a yearly project taking him to Hawaii Nine Six.
In 1998, Tim went to Maui for the first time under the advise of great surf photographer Dan Merkel and shot one of the biggest swells at the famous big wave surf spot Jaws. The video was called Biggest Wednesday. Arguably the biggest selling surf video in sales history in Australia. Up to 70,000 units sold. Around that time Tim was employed by the US toy company Mattel and made Morey body board movies RAW 1 & 2 – The Contest then body board instructional DVD’s BIO 1 & 2. He went onto his final body board flick ‘Loaded’ – then back to stand up films in 1999 with Snuff 1 & 2, Lost in Space – Download & Automatic.
During that time Tim worked with Quiksilver on many pro events including all the Quiksilver Pro Events in G-Land, Fiji, Japan, France & California.
Over the last eight years Tim has found a new home in Tahiti shooting the most publicized surfing location in the world called Teahupo’o.
Choppes has been a modern day melting pot of everything that makes surf film making a serious pleasure. Hence Tim went out and created the award winning documentary Blackwater – The story of a place called Teahupo’o.
In May 2006, Blackwater won best surfing documentary in the International Surf Festival in St Jean Deluz, France.
Since Blackwater in 2005, Tim made May Dayz – two incredible unique days at the same location.

Australian Surf Movie Festival | ASMF.
In 2002/03 – Tim decided to go back where it all started and take surf movies back on the road and created the Australian Surf Movie Festival.
In 2009 the Jim Beam ASMF continues to keep the tradition alive & where it has now become an icon of modern day surf flicks on the big screen touring around Australia. 
The level of excellence and acceptance to ASMF has been second to none with up 28 shows selected on the national tour into 5 states.
Over the last 4 years Tim has also been hard at work creating his new project, which has become his biggest challenge to date.
Called ‘What is Surfing’ or just SURFING the title TBC.
Like a good red wine this project is evolving to be something very unique.